Almost two decades ago, at an age just smart enough to understand price, but too foolish to understand value, I was fortunate enough to acquire a Patek Philippe 5107R Calatrava. It was my first truly exceptional watch, and it represented something magical for me: an intersection of brand greatness, legendary design continuity, and movement workmanship at the high level. I cherished it, until I later on became tempted with other watches, and sold it off to fund those dalliances in things which ticked. A bad case of sellers remorse, despite it going to the best of homes? Oh yes, and that would be only one of many I have had over the years, but at least I had been able to experience one of the handful of true horological legends. When people think of exceptional complications, they often think of Patek Philippe first–yet, the storied Geneva brand associated with so many famous owners and appreciators also comes to mind when elegant simplicity is considered, as the Calatrava collection has really defined the round gentleman’s wristwatch since 1932, when the Reference 96 debuted.
There have been many legendary references, though, some hand-wound like the 96 and its current honorable predecessor and others (like the aforementioned 5107) with automatic winding movements. While no bad choice can be made in the Calatrava lineup, my heart tells me that if I ever get a chance to don one again, said Calatrava would have to be manual wind, without date display, to be in the spirit of its ancestor. With that established, Patek Philippe has created something wonderful with their 2021 introduction, the References 6119G and 6119R, in white and rose gold respectively. Deceptively simple, yet with a potent visual presence, and each metal having its own distinct character thanks to differing finishing textures, the 6119 also boasts a new, slightly larger 39mm case–giving the classic dress watch form greater capability for everyday wear.
The opaline dial of the rose gold model is the classic, warmer choice of the two, while the vertically grained one in the white gold is discreet, icily beautiful, and glittering with nuance. In either, a fine sector division at the seconds subdial, a railroad track minute section, and multiply faceted hands and hour markers in polished 18K gold create a glittering feast of varied light play and details to admire. Crowning these dial fireworks is a hobnailed guilloched bezel as iconic for PP as the fluted one is for Rolex, and it creates another sublime light play which changes quite dramatically according to the type and quantity cast upon it. I simply adore the hobnail bezel on this new model, and it pairs impeccably with these exquisite dials.
Of course, a Patek Philippe watch is as much about what’s inside, as it is a showcase of timeless style. And here, watch lovers should find a lot to rejoice about. Rather than shoehorn an old, smaller diameter movement into the case with a spacer ring and call it a day–something some have found a bit egregious with the 37mm Ref. 5196’s relatively undersized 215PS that was mercifully hidden by a solid caseback–Patek Philippe here created a proper brand new caliber, and a fine one it is!
Dubbed 30-255 PS (PS = “petite seconde“), this caliber fully fills the 39mm gold case of its host, offers a sensuous structure of swooping bridges adorned with traditional haute de gamme finishing, and gives a significant power reserve upgrade compared to predecessors. That would be a full 65 hours in fact, thanks to double mainspring barrels. These mainspring barrels, which unwind in like measure through the reserve, also give the mechanism a very strong dose of torque, contributing further to excellent chronometric precision from full wind to near stop. All I can say is, I’d spend a lot of time looking at this caliber through the caseback as it’s very pretty in form and decoration, and a lot of the gear train is visible as well: hardcore loupe-lookers and macro photography masochists might argue that beveling and details are not quite at Lange level, (or maybe even modern Vacheron Constantin) but that’s picking pretty pettily at straws, and merit is dubious. I do find myself wistfully wishing the escape wheel bridge had a black polished cap, though, just like the classic, simple Patek Philippe movements from the 1940s, 50s, or 60s did, but as a total package, this watch–and its movement–is a cohesive powerhouse of high luxury excellence, Bauhaus design perfection, and watchmaking prowess.
Patek Philippe prices have become a bitter pill to swallow in recent years, like all of the most sought after brands. It’s hard to believe those halcyon days of the late 90s or early 2000s when an equivalent Patek Philippe reference might have sold new at an authorized dealer for ten to twelve thousand or so. Not so, now: this one will set you back $29,570 Yankee dollars, and at that lofty price, there is plenty of worthy competition from brands like the aforementioned A. Lange or Vacheron Constantin, as well as new upstarts like the exceptional Genevan maker Laurent Ferrier. F.P. Journe and H. Moser, as well as others, would stand in this elite company, as well. Still, the Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref 6119 is one of those hallowed watches that combines everything you could want in a way few others can. And beyond that comprehensive excellence, the Calatrava will never go out of style, will always be coveted, and be a collection cornerstone to never get rid of…no matter what. (Ask me how I know!) Now I reckon it’s time to just quell that butthurt over those long-ago silly decisions and get a GoFundMe going to put a 6119G on my wrist, so I can have that second chance! 😉
